Patrick Hickey, Jr. Goes Behind the Art of Video Games in Book Series

What made you want to publish a book series about games?

The Video Game industry is the fastest-growing, most dominant form of pop culture in the world, but we know so little about the creators of our favorite (and not so favorite) games.

I’ve covered the industry for 15 years and wanted something new and special to do before my first child was born. Now, sitting in the waiting room with my wife in labor with our second child, I have two books published and four more on the way.

It brings me great satisfaction knowing that many of these stories have never been told anywhere else, or there is more explanation and depth to them. This is a series that will be important for years to come, as academia and the world at large begins to understand how important video games are to the fabric of our society.

So to answer your question more concisely, I’ve been a journalist for 15 years, I appreciate the medium and I love conducting interviews and researching. It was as organic of an experience as possible.

What was your favorite videogame as a kid and what’s your favorite one now?

As a kid, it varied from Contra and RBI Baseball to Games such as Final Fantasy VII and NHL 94. Today, it’s even more varied, although I am seriously in love with everything Fallout and Pokémon- and still NHL.

In your opinion, what makes a good videogame?

It’s like what makes a man or a woman. Something bigger than the sum of its parts. I love a game like West of Loathing for its story and wit. I love Pokémon because of the sense of adventure. I love Elder Scrolls because it’s so vast. It depends on so many factors.

What do you think readers will find the most interesting in your books?

The inside look at the games, directly from the developers. I worked extremely hard getting all of these people to talk about their adventures and think their stories are just as important as the experiences you have playing their games. Why? Because their games are a look into their soul and these interviews will connect you more to their work than ever before.

If you could create the ultimate videogame, what would the storyline be?

Hehe. I’m actually a writer and voice actor in the industry. Writing the story for a game right now… well, a few, but this one I can announce. Head to KroomGame.com to check it out. It’s got a great team and it’s going to be a special one.